Lessons Learned --- An NGO I worked with in the past responded to the subsequent earthquake reposnse in Nepal and in short the team there remarked on how the lessons learned and successful implementation from 2008 provided a great foundation for the earthquake response, especially since the lessons were well documented.

Source author: Jaime Abraham jaime.j.abraham@gmail.com

Termination clauses --- Thanks Phoebe. There are some agreements which are intended to last far into the future, hopefully forever. Leave space in them for your thinking.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Restoring a sense of ownership --- Thanks Chloe. I've come across this from time to time and have often found that a sense of ownership can be restored by organising an event flamboyant enough for the people on the other side of the table to feel fully respected. This can be quite easy to arrange, I'm sorry to admit.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Stakeholder politics --- Thanks Crys. This isn't a problem only for RCRC Societies of course. One of the accusations levelled against the current Australian Government is that it has one of the most incompetent sets of Ministers in living memory. This has meant that a lot of program work on which the government should have worked is done instead by business, foundations and NGOs. Where it has been successful, the incompetent ministers have claimed the credit... What can I say?

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Continuation of the HD role --- In a word Crys, YES INDEED. That kind of attitude usually is based on ignorance of the support the HDiplomats have provided to the program and a failure to recognise that the HDiplomats will usually be needed to support monitoring and evaluation and future work with the donors in question. Neolithic.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Reporting to all parties --- Thanks Sepideh. Some organisations are more than allergic to reporting on their actions to their governments. They fear, with good reason, that this could expose their front-line workers to discrimination or trouble. In these situations it's not uncommon for the reporting to be done in such a way as to mask those troublesome realities, but some form of reporting is usually a requirement for the continuation of funding either from the government or inter-governmental organisations.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Precedents --- Thanks Kylea and Eefjie. IFRC and where possible ICRC make use of regional NS meetings, held in most regions every four years, to bring precedents like this to the attention of the other National Societies. This is usually done through workshops and informal meetings, but sometimes resolutions affirm the precedents.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Australian IHL campaign --- Thanks Kylea. It continues, and will be brought to the attention of the parliament again after the general elections in Australia on 21 May. Many of the members will be new, and so will learn about this for the first time.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Measuring success --- Fair question Fanny. Success was measured by the acceptance of the product by both Houses of Parliament and their use of it with selected constituents. The Australian parliamentarians also used it in their contacts with counterparts at the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Australian Government underwrote some of the costs of translation and distribution in various Pacific Island countries. The box should have made this clearer.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

sense of development at local capacity --- It is Not easy a such since humanitarian assistance is meant for emergency in nature but I believe supporting and partnering with the local NS means a lot that will show locals to trust their NS and commit to raise sustainable local funds that will help the NS to respond quickly during natural disasters without the support of the external donor communities.

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

Rotation risks --- Yes Chloe and Phoebe. Despite the fact that what you say is obvious common sense it's remarkable how often this isn't the way things often work.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Ownership is key --- To create sense of ownership between parties is key to successful implementation of the agreements and I believe this could be reached through careful approach during initial stages of agreement discussions- meaning to identify the right stakeholders of the partnership agreements signatories.

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

Media coverage embarrassment --- Yes, very interesting. I hate to ask this, Fanny, but if an Australian Embassy were ambushed like this by the Australian media there would be hell to pay. How could that have happened?

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

counterparts --- In the context of fragile states, rapid change of authorities is regular while handover agreement records is poor, so how could HD could deal in such scenarios?

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

Rohingya poverty and identity --- Thanks Kabir. There's not enough space in these boxes to go deeply into your question but it is worth noting that the international community and most governments outside Myanmar accept that the Rohingya should be properly identified and their needs prioritised. The National Unity Government, formed to oppose the military coup, also accepts the Rohingya and prioritises their needs.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Social media --- You make a good point, Kabir. Social media has done wonders for implementing accountability, nearly everywhere.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Change of national leadership --- Thanks Kabir. What you mention is a phenomenon not restricted to developing or least-developed countries. Many countries now have special commissions tasked with identifying corrupt or other conduct of the types you mention.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Ownership and inclusion --- Thanks Terez and Lessur. We say that all negotiation parties should be included. Not all parties take part in the negotiation, for some of them have other roles such as advocacy, logistics or whatever. Some just give money to support the cause and get names as "parties"..

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Greedy multilaterals --- Not just multilaterals Nathalie, and not only because of greed. I've worked in places where the drinking water was so foul and polluted that the only thing we could safely drink was beer - that was in Myanmar in the early 1970s, before Coca Cola was allowed into the country!

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Knowledge gaps --- Nathalie, you have a rosy-eyed view of the intellect of members of parliament. When I look at mine in Australia I sometimes have to remind myself that they broadly represent the knowledge base of the population. In addition, their ability to stretch their minds across the entire parliamentary agenda is further limited by their own political leaders who often don't want them to enquire into the reasons for decisions, just cast their votes as directed.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Termination clauses --- Nathalie, it's quite rare to see termination clauses invoked and there would normally have been a good deal of negotiation, including HD, before that stage is reached. If termination is invoked it normally involves a set period between giving notice of termination and termination itself, and this might sometimes allow HD to rectify an unwanted situation.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Segregation of duties --- Thanks Nathalie, Emmanuel and Phoebe. Negotiation quite often takes place far from the location of implementation and requires very different skills. It is however often important to be prepared for the restart of negotiation if implementation stutters or fails, so the original negotiations need to stay aware of how implementation proceeds, and sometimes - if possible - visit the implementation sites to check on progress or help reconcile differing views on what might be required in a given situation.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Baselines and benchmarks --- Thanks Nathalie, Fanny and Phoebe. We sought in this text to ask that benchmarks, showing progress, be identified so the progress itself could be cross-checked. Phoebe describes this neatly.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Monitoring the negotiation process --- Good question, Sepideh. I've often found it good to make sure that partners know that the process will be monitored and evaluated, and to refer back to this while negotiation proceeds (for example by identifying key points as they arise). This would make it relatively easy to identify lessons learned and action taken. It would also help identify the people who might be part of the evaluation team when the time comes for this to be undertaken (which would usually be well before the negotiation AND implementation is concluded).

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Annual reports --- Thanks Lessur. Annual reports are usually a very good vehicle for keeping the public, and small donors, up to date with what happens to their donations. It also helps keep them on board as donors for the project in question and for the future.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Being inclusive --- Thanks for starting this useful discussion Lessur, and to Nathalie, Fritz, Sepideh and many others for taking part. My take from this, and from my own experience, is that no partner will feel like a partner if it's not consulted appropriately. What that means will depend on the nature of its participation, but in general Phoebe puts it well when she says consultation should take place at every stage of the process and be part of the building and maintenance of the sense of ownership.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Localisation --- ..,not just to develop but also to recognise what capacity already exists. so many inter-agency coordination mechanisms in humnitarian responses including those with a HD component are made up of only international organisations eg Shelter cluster in Haiyan response in the Philippines which advocated for land rights of the most vulnerable -possibly correctly but would have been enhanced if the cluster had more local participation - these groups were in a seperate coordination mechanism built on national systems.

Source author: Teresa Hanley thanley7@gmail.com

Building Blocks of Trust & Credibility. --- Transparency and openness remain the building blocks of Trust and credibility. As HDiplomats we should endevour to be transparent in the negotiation and implementation processes to ensure trust building and credibility with our counterparts.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Capacity Building - Idea vs Reality --- Agreed, Fanny; my experience of working with national NGOs as implementing partners shows that although we plan for Capacity Building training sessions and courses, in reality, we are far from successful because the fundamental basis does not exist in these NGOs, and there is not enough interest, resources, and time to create all the necessary foundation within their structure. In addition, I feel we create a false sense of "capacity" that is not in their long-term favour as they cease to make further efforts to grow.

Source author: Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Asgari asgari.spdh@gmail.com

Termination Clauses --- I think all agrements should have a termination clause...not solely because of bad reasons but also when the particular implementation process of the agreement, comes to an end.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

When you think you have communicated?Communicate again --- Coomunication is essential depsite the current status of the situaiton or implmentation phase.

It is better to be open and trnasparent instead of keeping the parties in limbo and allowing for gossip, speculation and fake news to begin going round. It is almost impossible to recover

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Old Leadership and Credibility --- This is quite an interesting remark. We have seen well known public figures having to be disociated with because of their past doing. Again social media has a big bearing on this in terms of information access by the public.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Corruption --- Yes Nathalie, we work in many countries where corruption is endemic. Our approach should be to let our interlocutors understand that we don't play this game, and then to make sure that within our own set up, corruption does not exist. Not easy but doable.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Org Changes & Importance of Documentation --- In agreement with you. Aside from proper documentation of engagements and negotiation processes. where possible, it is important that the outgoing persons introduces the new colleague to the HD teams before departure, that way he will be able to manourver with the team and adopt faster

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Resources in Agreement --- Will this not be part of the discussions under implementation.

In my opinion it will be useful for the parties negotiationg to be transparent and not use the other person's weakness as a leverage. That said if the resources needed will be provided by one of the parties, an agreement staking how the funds will be allocated, the condiitons for accesing the various tranches and reporting requirements should be clearly outlined in the Project Fund agreement.

Trust, transparency and credibility are crucial to supporting implementation.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Transparency --- Right you are Crys, and I definitely vote for transparency and effective communication !

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Role of Negotiator --- I think this is context specific i,e, in some instances the negotiator might be the one to implement and monitor and report back while in some instances the negotiator is just the deal breaker and will be called upon to support with monitoring and back stopping.

It will be quite useful that during the discussion on roles - this is openly discussed and agreered upon to avoid issues of biases or mistrust.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Interlocutors in jail --- It all depends Nathalie. Was the guy you were negotiating with and who is now in jail a good guy or a bad guy? And now who is the next one? Good or bad? this might affect the public perception of your organisation. Odds are that in both cases you will have to re-negotiate or simply adapt parts of your agreement.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Assistance/development --- Good question Fanny, for example, in one country, the ICRC has medical personel (doctors and nurses) working in government hospitals together with national staff (immediate assistance and development) and on top pays the salaries of the local staff as the government is unable to do it.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Ownerhip of Agreement --- In addiiton to consulting, the consultation should be done at every step of the process.

The constant enagement in the process creates and builds a sense of ownership of the agreement.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

BenchMark rather than Baseline --- I think benchmark is used as this process has been ongoing whether if it started informally or formally. So maybe the earlier informal conversations might not want to be captured in written hence the the rather forward looking approach to issue.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Documentation for Future --- Documenting agrement in writing is crucial for record keeping, hand over and onboarding in case of changes in organisations, for referencing, review and monitoring and documentation of impact.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

President --- Not really Nathalie, as the Swiss government operates by concensus. But can you imagine the war in Ukraine today with the former US President still in charge? It is the same for humanitarian organisations. They operate keeping in mind the FPs, therefore rotation of personel should not affect the negotiation except that personalities of the actors and their negotiating style might be different.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

What's in it for me? --- Crys, I would say it all depends on circumstances, again. If all parties have something to gain in the process, it is definitely feasible in armed conflict situations and with NSAGs

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

New approach? --- I believe that immediate service delivery of humanitarian assistance is not contradictory to capacity building of local actors on the longer term. All the more as humanitarian organisations are increasingly relying on local actors in their action. Capacity-building activities should first be included in strategies of humanitarian organisations and be funded by adequate mechanisms. This might require to convince donors about the benefits of capacity-building as a component of humanitarian work.

Source author: Chloe Sarthou chloe.sarthou@hotmail.fr

Sufficient? --- Is it sufficient? In the above-mentionned case of a party believing that the agreement does not take into account its interests, should negotiations be re-opened or is such an option to be avoided at all costs?

Source author: Chloe Sarthou chloe.sarthou@hotmail.fr

this is everything --- language changes everything - framing, perspectives, emotions, and therefore reactions and positions and action!

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

internal politics --- it can also be a situation where incompetent people are appointed roles due to influential role or favour owed or someone knows someone etc... - which is not uncommon in the movement (most recent example that got quite some media attention was the Hellenic Red Cross resulting in their temporary suspension a few years ago) govt, organisations, etc... in general. point is - sometimes we need to fit procedures that may be longer or less logical to include the right people wherever they are in the organization/other party's structure

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

Mitigating the risk of rotation --- It is to avoid this that humanitarian organisations should have good handover procedures from one staff to the other in case of rotation to ensure a real continuity. In addition, I guess that many humanitarian organisations have a tradition of avoiding too much "personification" in their activities and tend to put forward the organisation itself more than individual staff in what they do.

Source author: Chloe Sarthou chloe.sarthou@hotmail.fr

communicate, communicate, communcicate --- there's one thing keeping our behinds covered, and there's another thing being transparent and communicating effectively esp with affected communities in a timely manner where/when/however feasible to minimise repercussions of delays for example

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

internal negotiations - vertical vs. horizontal --- this may not necessarily only be limited to sides in the agreement but even internally between the strategic and operational hierarchy within the entity. strategically leaders might see a benefit and even see it as feasible however operational realities may be very different. it's so important that in these negotiations we're inclusive of all levels vertically not only horizontally.

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

ownership & partnerships - genuine or contracted? --- resources usually are breaking points in negotiation and can impact ownership if financial resources for example are held with one party or any resource essential to implementation is under the influence of one party over another - can be used as a leverage point but also a pain point if intended which can significantly disrupt implementation. finding a balance between cutting off resources until an agreement is reached again/dispute resolved or continue delivering resources and work on the dispute is a very difficult decision to take

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

relationship building in conflict --- it's really important that this is developed organically but also intentionally - which are contradictory but strategically smaller workshops can be planned for operational stakeholders so that relationship building might happen 'organically' due to regular meetings and increasing familiarity. However, having said that - how feasible is it in conflict settings or with NSAGs?

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

Recognising the Continuation of HDiplomats' Role --- Based on personal experience, programme team staff do not recognise the importance of the HDiplomat's role in continuing the negotiations that emerge from the implementation of agreements. Believing that the programme team's understanding of the programmatic side will excel other skills, they exclude the HDiplomats from the conversation. This view damages the implementation process and the existing trust and relationships. HDiplomacy and HDiplomats should become part of organisations' culture.

Source author: Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Asgari asgari.spdh@gmail.com

Agreed but ... --- Agreeing with all, I would like to argue two points. 1) Losing ownership - happens when even the "small" parties have "large!" influence over our different level counterparts and take away the ownership from less influential but more prominent parties. 2) Losing sense of ownership - happens when the culture of partnership does not exist in an organisation and staff over delegate (out of frustration or inattentiveness) and hence lose the sense of ownership and ultimately ownership of an agreement.

Source author: Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Asgari asgari.spdh@gmail.com

Reporting to wide range of parties --- In my context, like many others, one main party requiring reporting is the government - specifically Line Ministries - as they provide work permits to international entities. However, I have seen much resistance from different organisations, arguing the principle of "independence". The lack of implementation teams' engagement in the reporting process takes away from the leverages HDiplomats can have in taking a conversation forward and building a solid relationship with different level counterparts.

Source author: Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Asgari asgari.spdh@gmail.com

cooperation accross religions --- why would it be a problem to cooperate with a faith based organisation?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

switzerland ...again --- Fanny, how about our Presidency, that rotates every year? Do you think CH position re Ukraine would have been different if we were still with Simonetta or Guy as President?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

literacy vs education --- sure but we are not talking literacy, merely what you learn in school as to how your country works and fits in the broader global picture; access to legislative power should not be given to philistines who need to read such a handbook, being a generalist is ok and knowing how to find the info...or are we now contemplating a parlamentiarian IHL induction? Agreed, some Swiss say lots of nonsense :) highly illustrative of an "artificial" country living on subsidiarity, neutrality and Sonderfalls Schweiz principles.

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

Example: Peace accord in Colombia --- The historic peace accord (in 2014) made between the Colombian government and the FARC (Guerilla group) is another great example! All negotiations had succeeded in Havanna and all parties signed the agreement, which included measures of reintegration for ex-combatants. The newly elected government however after the treaty did not accept the agreement and has chosen not to fulfil the measures included in the treaty. Now many ex-combatants are homeless, jobless and in danger through targeted assassinations by paramilitaries. Many have chosen to re-enter the Guerilla movement and have taken up arms again.

Source author: Fritz Pinnow fritzpinnow@gmx.de

Why negative? --- Those are some interesting experiences! I would like to dig a bit deeper into this and ask why in these cases media coverage was a negative aspect... What made the media presence a complication?

Source author: Fritz Pinnow fritzpinnow@gmx.de

Inclusion --- Terez Curry. I find it difficult to agree with you to some extent. Government of South Sudan and opposition signed revitalised peace agreement in 2018. Negotiated and monitored by IGAD, but implemented by the two parties to the agreement. Parties didn't agree on the implementation of the certain provisions, IGAD as a guarantor delegated Sudan and Uganda to moderate the talks to defuse the tension. Isn't it negotiated and monitored by IGAD?

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

Using this precedent --- I agree! We have the same issue unfortunately still in the Netherlands, where there is quite a fear among politicians that irregular migrants want to make use of our health state. Even if it is proven that people already live here for 40 years.. Maybe this example of Sweden can also provide inspiration for my colleagues. Right now we are trying to use the possibilities within the policies and system being created for Ukrainian refugees to be extended also for irregular migrants.

Source author: Eefje Appel eappel@redcross.nl

Great example --- The Netherlands Red Cross also uses this useful handbook as a model for our own handbook for MPs

Source author: Eefje Appel eappel@redcross.nl

Uninformed politicians --- Indeed Nathalie. In the Dutch parliament we have 20 political parties at the moment (!), in a parliament with only 150 seats. This makes it impossibe for MPs to be well informed at all subjects they need to have a position about. This also gives HDiplomats also a chance to provide politicians with relevant information, since they are very grateful to be updated by a reliable source of information.

Source author: Eefje Appel eappel@redcross.nl

Swiss parliamentarians --- Nathalie, yes, all the members in the Swiss Parliament can read and write, but it does not prevent some of them to make some extremely stupid declarations, and this is not specific to the Swiss Parliament !!

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Assistance --- Here again Kylea, we are not in a politicized environment. We are talking exclusively about assistance. Besides, in France (and other countries as well), you have priests and imams interacting with the detainees.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Inmates --- Kylea, we are talking here about common law offenders, not security detainees, which means that prisoners without family or coming from very poor neighborhoods need additional support (pocket money to buy some items at the prison store, etc). Protection is normally not an issue in such cases..

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Reaching the Perpetrator of Violence --- I am curious if the program also included general campaigning regarding IHL to reach the public? It is important to have the peer groups without a doubt, but a big part of the issue here are the people (generally men) who are using these services (when it comes to "entertainment").

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Some Prison Inmates --- How were they able to justify supplying aid to the most vulnerable when it is likely that all prisoners or at least most were in a vulnerable situation?

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Maintaining the Brand --- In general, I am in favor of cooperation, but how did the French Red Cross maintain that it was not a religious organization while and after teaming up with a Catholic one? Isn't it possible that the French Red Cross could have be seen as favoring Christian values above the values of other religions or perhaps worse, promoting them/converting inmates who were already vulnerable and in desperate need of assistance?

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Setting A Precedent --- I really enjoyed this example of how a precedent can be set with such great humanitarian implications; however, it does seem frustrating that this was even a question so recently and in the EU where human rights are supposedly protected and upheld.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Length of Campaign --- How long did the campaign last? I would think that is should be something ongoing. It is great that there were some mentions in the media, but it also depends on the length of time this was over in order to be significant I would think. Or do we look at this as any mention is a good thing for IHL awareness?

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Government Feedback --- I am curious if the government felt resentment towards the Society or if they welcomed this as a teachable moment?

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Illiterate Parliamentarians --- Thanks Nathalie. In the Somalia context, the power sharing of our government is based on clans and not on merit basis. Sometimes clans are led by the most powerful individuals who have no basic education or even skills, and this unfortunately causes to have illiterate members (who cannot even read or write) in the parliament specially at regional states.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Help Your Brother Initiative --- In Somalia, we had a similar campaign which was called "Caawi Walaalkaa ama Walaashaa" which translates to 'Help Your Brother or Sister'. It really helped a lot and attracted the attention of the public. They have used private negotiations and public advocacy.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Agreed but --- Good point. This will be a success factor throughout the implementation. However, we need to keep our communication lines open with key stakeholders who have a say in the agreement otherwise they will create unnecessary delays by raising issues...

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Trust is key in negotiations --- As HDiplomats, what ever the differences with our interlocutors during negotiations, we need to protect and build the trust because if we loose trust we may not succeed.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Agreed and.. --- Agree. it is mportant that all parties in the HDiplomacy action be on the same page and agreeing to who what implement which part of the agreement.

Source author: Terez Curry terez.curry@gmail.com

Stakeholder agreement --- The implementation obstacle of stakeholder not agreeing with the way something is being implements demonstrates that as HD, you must know your stakeholders and ensure that everyone is on the same page. Agreeing the cause you are fighting for and the way it would be implemented. The work should be divided equally based on experise amongst the stakeholders.

Source author: Terez Curry terez.curry@gmail.com

Increased profile --- The increase global media attention to damages of Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas in 2019 brought with it much needed asistance to those two islands impacted. It resulted in lobbying for many changes in disaster response and coordination.

Source author: Terez Curry terez.curry@gmail.com

Public profile --- Is this the same method used to bring to the forefront the abuses of apartheid in South Africa?. The picture taken by the Canadian jounalist of the Soweto school riots and the brother carrying the body of his little sister who was injured during the school protests caused the world to take a look at South Africa and what was happening there. Eventually leading to the abolishment of apartheid. Bring true the saying that "a picture paints a thousand word".

Source author: Terez Curry terez.curry@gmail.com

measuring success --- What are the tools used to identify success, and when do we decide that a campaing was successuful? The 40 mentions in media might seem like a lot but also at the same time not really. How does a visit on a website qualify for success(i.e. should not we rather look at how long every user spend on the website)?

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Example? --- I would be very interested to know of examples of situation where an agreement was terminated, and especially what happened afterwards

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

humanitarian/developement --- Development of local capacities is essential. however, this takes a lot of time and ressources, how is it compatible with humanitarian assistance that per definition should be implemented rapidly?

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Rotation principle --- i am wondering how to deal with the reality of the humanitarian work, that for many organizations implies a rotation every couple of years. In protracted conflict situation, the actors on the gournd are well aware of this situation, and might use it to their own advantage. It can also creat some fatigue for the negociators, that might face new less-knowledgeable people too often.

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Media coverage as an instrument --- From my personal experience: - I participated once in the signature of an agreement, we agreed that there would be no media presence, however when we opened the door of the negociation room, there was a whole bunch of journalists waiting for us to give a statement. It put us (my boss) in a very unconfortable situation as we felt obliged to say something, but it definitely felt like the trust was broken from the beginning. - Another time, in a difficult context, I was visiting the implementation of an agreement on the ground, part of a Swiss delegation. What we did not know, is that the governement of the country in question had invited a team of Swiss journalists, that was waiting for us on the site of the implementation (we entered a room in a school in a very remote area, and were welcomed by a team of Swiss journalists, throwing questions at us...). Here again, very unconfortable situation, we felt like we had to talk to the press, but were ill-prepared (and you can feel that watching the footages). It was very difficult to regain trsut (and faith) after that, from all sides, a very counter-productive experience.

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Agree --- i understand benchmark as in the terminolgy of project cycle management: baseline refers to the situation at the beginning of a project and benchmark is the process to compare the objectives achieved with the situation at the beginning. I htink bothe concepts should be referred to in this paragraph, or is there a reason not to?

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Example Russian agreement with the ICRC --- The ICRC had engaged in negotiations with the Russian Federation about the humanitarian corridor for Ukrainian refugees... Basically, after the negotiations "Behind closed doors" the Russian counterparts turned to the media and implying that the ICRC would support Russian efforts in their "Special Operation" This spiked horrific misunderstandings causing a devastating media outcry, which the ICRC has still to recover from.

Source author: Fritz Pinnow fritzpinnow@gmx.de

Agreed but... --- Indeed, ownership is elementary. However, there will always be spoilers of the agreement, it is important to identiy them early on and to keep including them in the implementation nevertheless

Source author: Fanny Charmey fanny.charmey@eda.admin.ch

Agreement on narrative --- Media coverage has played a significant role and has damaged the perception of many agreements! The narrative must be discussed when one party would like to consider media outreach. Because only being part of a narrative can have catastrophic consequences.

Source author: Fritz Pinnow fritzpinnow@gmx.de

Agreed --- Those are some very god points! Additionally, I would add that it is important that every party within this agreement can mark a win and is equally considered and respected for the effort that has been put into this project. This is important to consider when working with "Small" NGOs or parties, because overshadowing can cause harm within the implementation of sed agreement

Source author: Fritz Pinnow fritzpinnow@gmx.de

Poverty and identity crisis both should be addressed --- Int'l organisations are working to alleviate poverty in those areas. In addition to that, the identity of Rohigya and other ethnic groups living there should be recognized by the government. Int'l donor and stakeholders can initiate it side by side to give a permanent political solution on the issue.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

Social media and broadcasters are now more active --- Due to poor management in root levels the distribution of aid from government side was challenging. But now the responses are much better than before due to use of social media and mobile phones. The local news reporters including TV broadcasters rushed at the spot for live coverage to create pressure on the government for immediate action for victims of man-made or natural disasters.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

Where most of acid victims are poor --- This happens in South Asian context where Romeo is son of powerful local people proposed a targeted (beautiful) girl for marriage without thinking of her consent. If the girl's family is poor or have no social stands the parents of victim as suffer as the victim herself mentally and socially. The perpetrators usually manage to escape punishment by manipulating witnesses and through threats. In such case, free legal aid or humanitarian agency plays important role for justice.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

Where women work with dignity and self-respect --- In Bangladesh, garments workers are not socially excluded. They've their acceptable status in the society (at their level) as same as in China and Vietnam. Women with little education can become garments machine operator and through perseverance can get raised position and salary. However, it is better option for divorced women, single parents (mother) and poor women/girls to employ themselves to combat hunger, poverty and uncertainty.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

Chance in power should not affect decision --- Any government/constitutional post is based on constituency/legal framework of that particular country and to abide by the terms and conditions of agreement are binding. So who was in power (leader) had the authority to sign and execute any agreement and subsequent change in power should not affect it on the ground of personal capacity. This thing happens almost every developing and least developing country where executive authority misuse their powers for personal/political interest and legal procedure against them is time consuming and risky to get counter (false) legal allegations from them as harassment and life-threatening. HR organizations or media can do little but reporting only.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

Inclusion --- Why would you need to include all parties in the implementation stage. I would think that the implementation would be done by the support personnel. Is this saying that those who negotiated the deal, should be there to instruct and guide the support team

Source author: Terez Curry terez.curry@gmail.com

Separation of duties --- Nathaniel. To implement, negotiate and monitor an agreement, depends on the nature of the agreement itself. Otherwise it's not possible.

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

nepotism, cronyism --- Favoritism in various forms including nepotism and cronyism are also frequent causes. In grantmaking due diligence, we have to check the organizations charts to avoid this, however maybe in HD this can be an enabler? any examples or thoughts?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

longevity of agreements --- What about credibility, when you have signed an agreement with the-then-in-power leader and now he is in jail? how does that impact the reputation of the humanitarian organisation? This brings to mind the "cancel culture". Last year I did a PGCert that lasted less than 6 month and during that time the faculty had to change its name as it was discovered that the guy it was named after was a slave trader. Is there a recognition in HD that acceptability evolves in time?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

greedy multinationals and capacity building --- I remember when in some countries newborns were given Coca Cola in their bottle because of the lack or quality of drinking water!<br /> I do hope that nowadays,thanks to social media and globalization, this no longer takes place and, in this case, greedy multinationals are obliged to build local capacity and provide development assistance in the form of water wells etc if they want market share/licenses to sell?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

a knowledge gap indeed! --- the Swiss in me is simply aghast by this whole thing! surely to be parliament elect you need to have a minimum education, knowledge and skills. Not IHL in details but such concepts.....beats me!

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

termination clauses in HD agreement --- I would not have expected that there would be any in HD? is this common and what are the grounds?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

segregation of duties --- in many other contexts, negotiators seldom are part of the implementation phase, is there a risk of lack of objectivity if the same persons do it all, ie negotiate, implement and monitor?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

agreed --- and also essential that parties take pride in implementing the agreement, feeling responsible for the outcome of the collective effort, and recognizing the agreement as a reflection of their identity

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

benchmark vs baseline --- surprised that benchmark is used and not baseline, as benchmark implies comparison to competition?

Source author: Nathalie Caminade nathalie.m.caminade@gmail.com

Monitoring the Negotiation Process --- We may not invest enough time and energy to monitor the negotiation process and draw lessons learned from it, but it is an integral part of the process. I would like to ask the Lecturers and fellow participants to share any specific tools they might use.

Source author: Seyedeh Sepideh Seyed Asgari asgari.spdh@gmail.com

Save lives by donating blood --- South Sudan Red Cross have taken lead in public advocacy by convincing citizens countrywide, to donate blood to save the life. Through radio talkshow, football matches, during public events and wishop places like mosque and churches.

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

Impact of indirect publication --- South Sudan Red Cross used to publish its annual report beginning of every year. It includes number of beneficiaries reached, with what and where. This report is distributed and disseminated to the key stakeholders.

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

Negative reactions on social media --- Be prepared to respond to any reputational damage. In 2017 someone posted on his personal account that he donated (5,000,000 USD) to South Sudan Red Cross, which wasn't not true. Immediately National Society corrected the allegations through different media flatforms.

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

Inclusive approach --- Partnership and cooperation gain more strength amd yield impactful indicators, when each one involved was consulted. ICRC and South Sudan Red Cross, use to do this, when signing operational agreement on annual basis.

Source author: Emmanuel Lessur emmanuel.lessur@ssdredcross.org

Absolutely agree --- Very well said Kylea Shropshire and I absolutely agree with you. We need to know our interactors very well in advance. As HDiplomat, you need to increase your network and include anyone you think is important because you can not afford to face surprises at a later stage.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Pillars to be assessed --- Its important to asses the partner's perception within the community and modality or working. Its also very important to review the history of the past risks faced by the partner and challenges they have faced.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

A case in Somalia --- There was a situation when a humanitarian organization did public advocacy to call for respect of their humanitarian work and some armed groups felt that they were targeted and therefore decided to ban that organization to operate in their area. So there are risks associated with public advocacy and these risk could include security threats.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Criteria for private or public --- Its important you do your own analysis of what works well in your given context and specially the interlocutors you are working with. This will help decide to go for private or public.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Private advocacy --- Sometimes, this is indeed the best way to achieve your humanitarian mandate. It helps you to convince political and military interlocutors to facilitate humanitarian mission. Some interlocutors do not like the public advocacy and this is understandable.

Source author: Mohamed Ibrahim Nur boorshaxle@gmail.com

Interesting Perspective --- Thank you for sharing this Humayun, this is an interesting take on partnerships. Was there concern that a serious situation may destroy your reputation by partnering with them?

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Alignment of Values --- One of the most important aspects is definitely having aligned values and attaching the same meaning to humanitarian principles. In addition, risk to reputation is a salient point and must always be at the forefront of our minds when entering in to a potential partnership with other humanitarian actors in order to achieve HD objectives.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Professionalism at the Local Level --- I am a bit unsure of what was meant in the last line Fritz. Do you mean that local NGOs are not always professional? I understand what you mean I think, but from my professional experience, I have also seen larger organizations also lacking in professionalism at times. It is important that we do not go into a local context assuming that the local NGOs are not professional or cannot be. Their local influence and expertise can provide valuable access and influence that would otherwise be impossible or negligible without them.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Stakeholder Analysis --- I absolutely agree with Eefje on this. Researching the stakeholders and analyzing them, including their influence and dynamics - all curucial for understanding how to manage them, engage with them, and/or involve them in your HD activities.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Research --- From my experience in mediation and working in the field, researching your counterpart(s) and also those at the periphery is crucial. It may become apparent that those who are seemingly not directly involved are still important for the success of a humanitarian operation or for HD.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Transparency --- I think this is a good point. Public advocacy definitely has it's risks and there will likely always be someone who is unhappy with it. On the other hand, if the advocacy is fully conducted by closed doors, some stakeholders may feel that they were left out or even cheated. This may lead to further mistrust and jeopardize humanitarian activities.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Goals --- I think that the goals can be similar, but not necessarily the same. Negotiation and advocacy are two different ways to achieve goals, but it may not be possible to completely achieve the same goal using one or the other. For example, during the Troubles, advocating for an agreement was not enough. It became apparent that formal negotiations would need to take place to try to come to a formal agreement. This eventually lead to the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement 1998.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Private Advocacy vs Negotiation --- They serve different purposes. Advocacy is a way to influence or try to influence what someone is thinking regarding an issue or topic. HD's can advocate private individuals or entities to try to influence their perception of a humanitarian challenge. Negotiations can also be done privately, but they are generally well planned and may include all parties involved coming together to find or attempt to find a solution to a humanitarian challenge.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

group assignment --- It was such a nice experience. Great group members, interesting topic and despite the different time zones we managed to organize various Zoom sessions to work on our assignement. Thank you for the opportunity!

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

funding --- It's important to know the funding background of the organization we plan to partner with. Donor funding requirements and steps taken by the other organization to meet these requirements could have an important influence on our decision to cooperate or not. No partnership is worth to risk our organization's reputation.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

credibility checklist --- Using the credibility checklist can be of great help. The pillars mentined there could be used as pillars for assessment: relationship with affected populations, organisational reputation, position in the sector. And then, the risk checklist of course.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

Less than ideal results --- Thanks Adrienn. Reaching an agreement is often accompanied by some sort of press statement, or maybe an interview or more. How you describe the result in this context creates an opportunity to explain how the result achieved was the best obtainable and what that means for the future.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

HD preparedness --- Teresa, I guess I'd say that organisations should not start HD actions (including negotiations) from square one every time. There needs to be an understanding of HD inculcated in the minds and behaviours of our humanitarian organisations so that when it's time to start before you begin you have the necessary fundaments in place.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Defining interest --- Thanks Teresa. I often find that "interest" is defined so differently that it's not possible to set a universal definition. A good stakeholder analysis should, however, help you and your organisation match interest to the culture and economic and social (all of them) circumstances.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Gender and Age --- Kylea, although there is still a great deal to be done the world has moved a long way since the time of my first exposure to multilateral diplomacy, in the 1960s. In those days there were hardly any women or young people at top UN tables but this is now very different. There's been more movement at this multilateral level than in many States, but this is changing too, albeit often too slowly.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Weapons debates in the RCRC --- Thanks Etienne, and just to add a date to JM's comment. The next opportunity for the RCRCM to consider these issues will be the meeting of the Movement's Council of Delegates, 22-23 June 2022, in Geneva. This is open only to National Societies and Movement institutions, so not to States, and it will be fascinating to see how these issues are addressed there.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Play the Ball, not the Person --- Thanks Sally. You're right but I am more and more disquieted by the tendency of politicians almost everywhere to play the person during election campaigns and the like. This builds ways of thinking and working which make it harder to play the ball.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Stating neutrality and independence not always enough --- Thanks Kylea. An example of this issue is the International Criminal Court, set up to act as a truly independent court. The nature of international crimes is that there will always be States whose interest is not in a neutral finding and they will find a way to stand aside from the findings of the prosecutor or the Court. The Ukraine debate interests me for many reasons, one of which is the relative absence of reference to the ICC, including by the USA which is not a party to the Rome Statute.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Respect for international law --- Thanks Kylea and Crys. While we speak of respect for international law, it's important to see this in the context of the way States - virtually all of them - like to speak of the importance of the "rules-based" international system. Law is at the heart of this, but as is the case in domestic legal situations there is often plenty of room for argument as to what these rules say and mean. HDiplomats will be watching this debate and finding meaning in rules which strengthen humanitarian solutions.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Pressure on Russia --- Good curiosity, Kylea. There is an assumption that if you can get the whole world (minus a few) favouring action this will sooner or later have an impact on Putin's Russia. We'll see over time what this means.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Compromise not an option --- Crys, it depends on what you want. Some final texts, especially when the outcome is a non-binding resolution, are adopted by a vote and with the intention of making a definitive statement. Israel-Palestine resolutions often have this character.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Wording of agreements 2 --- Drafting language - initial drafting can be in any language at all but it comes together at the multilateral level in a common language, usually but not always English. UN agreements eventually are adopted in the official languages of the UN.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Wording of agreements 1 --- Thanks Teresa. It's also important to remember that many of the ideas which are considered when drafting agreements come from NGOs and others which are not party to the drafting process but which come from NGOs and other observers. Some are lodged with States by national NGOs contributing at their own national levels. Some of them come forward because NGOs have their own access to thinking because of consultative processes made possible by treaties - one such treaty is the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

clear language --- Clear language and written agreements must be even more important in intercultural settings, this way both parties can ensure that there is no/less misunderstanding.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

listening --- It is important to listen with the purpose of understanding and not just waiting for the other party to stop talking and to have a chance to say what I want to say. It's an important form of appreciation towards our partner. Just like Sally said.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

time pressure --- Often used tactics in EU-negotiations (especially budget). At Council meetings, it often happens that the meeting isn't closed until a decision is made (with consensus). At 5 am the parties usually reach some kind of agreement (after a few days on intense negotiations).

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

respected or legitimate --- Instead of "or" I would say "and". One can be a legitimate representative and still have little respect for various reasons (behavior, style, preparedness, past actions etc.)

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

Focusing on Influence --- Thankyou for sharing Teresa, that is a great point!

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

root issues --- It's possible that a compromise is deemed something negative when the solution is unsatisfying and temporary because it doesn’t address the root issues. Does stating the obvious, eg. that the root issues are not addressed, help the parties feel themselves better about a compromise? Being clear about the fact that a less than ideal solution was agreed upon but it was the most the parties were able to reach at the moment.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

war crimes --- exactly - and what happens? not much... Ukraine challenging the UN is on point - what's the point of calling out war crimes and witnessing genocides if accountability measures and tribunals and other platforms take so long? i mean i understand the nuclear sensitivity of this (nuclear /WW3/etc...) but just seeing people's reactions makes you take a step back and look at a system that has been failing and continues to fail to protect and do what it was meant to do

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

ego --- Such a nice way to say that sometimes we have to put aside our ego (what we want) and prioritize finding common ground having in mind what we need. Quite useful method for all walks of life.

Source author: Adrienn Nasz adrienn.nasz@gmail.com

Creativity for a right solution is possible --- To get expected result (where there is no possibility) is possible if the matter is seen from different points of view. Here's a story on it. A shoe company sent its agent to one of African countries (couple of centuries years before) to explore possible market of shoes. He found all people there with bare feet and sent a telegram to company "Bad news! People here wear no shoes". But the company sent another agent instead to find any possibility to discover. The new agent sent the same telegram but with different result "Good news! People here wear no shoes". The company then invests there and earns profit.

Source author: M. Humayun Kabir hkabir1971@gmail.com

leadership & loyalty --- i really enjoyed the article and completely agree about the unconsciousness of cultures and societies because compromises can be understood as failure, lack of loyalty, and weak leadership that chose an easy way out.

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

NSAG context --- In the context of NSAG humanitarian negotiations must be conducted in a careful manner. Here perception matters- meaning the organization needs to understand the reality in the context but not just stick to look skill set of a good negotiator. Sometimes there are missed opportunities which can be built on the good level of knowledge at the context in which the humanitarian negotiations are taking places.

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

compromise isn't always an option --- what happens when neither parties can/want to compromise? e.g. Israel-Palestine. Compromise is more realistic when the parties are of equal treat to each other. When one is highly more armed or has resources and leverage, the likely-hood of a compromise becomes almost impossible. Why compromise when you can have it all?

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

Regional --- Negotiation at regional level means to have HD who can influence the humanitarian negotiations from the higher diplomatic level but what is most important here is to play a neutral role and use strategies that does not go against the fundamental humanitarian principles.

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

Humanitarian exemptions in Counterterrorism laws --- In some countries, the legislative body legalize counter-terrorism bill without considering the humanitarian consequences. Therefore, HD using their negotiation skills are required to have a dialogue with the concerned government institutions and expected to secure humanitarian exemptions to be considered.

Source author: Mohamed Abdirashid keysar126@gmail.com

No legal definition of terrorism --- Indeed, this is a real issue. The fact that there is no internationally agreed definition of terrorism opens the door to political and opportunistic interpretations by states.

Source author: Chloe Sarthou chloe.sarthou@hotmail.fr

always relevant --- promotion for respect on international law and humanitarian principles should be constant regardless of the need because, and as seen in Ukraine crisis and reaction from the public when the ICRC negotiates with Russia, negotiation and HD is not understood clearly. Humanitarian principles can be understood and be misunderstood and with the highly politicised and identity-based conflicts require this promotion now more than ever

Source author: Crys Al Chamaa Crys.chamaa@gmail.com

Focus for influence --- They also provide a place/focus for groups that are not part of the formal negotiation process to be able to input their perspectives, evidence etc. I'm thinking of the social movement that grew up around people living with aids that formed a powerful influence or lobby group in promotion of access to free ARTs- they could reach individuals as well as organise to present evidence at moments before inter-agency meetings.

Source author: Teresa Hanley thanley7@gmail.com

Wording of agreements --- It seems in reality that it takes huge amounts of time to agree final wording of agreements eg for agreements such as the MDGs/SDGs and the inclusion (or exclusion) of women's rights for reproductive health including abortion. There seem (to an outside observer) that huge time goes into trying to find a form of wording that keeps everyone happy but not always found. But also I wonder how the language of documents is negotiated in the first place - is it a multi-language process and if so how many languages for multi-lateral agreements (only the UN official languages?).

Source author: Teresa Hanley thanley7@gmail.com

HD preparedness --- Is there such a thing as "HD preparedness" - I know there are activities that really pay dividends when an opportunity presents it self such as relationship building, evidence building etc. But is it recognised as a valued use of time in reality in many organisations (beyond maybe ICRC?). I've seen the importance of activities like relationship building, profile building and maybe for Red Cross promotion of the Fundamental Principles awareness but that time for these activities often get cut when resources, especially senior people's time, is short.

Source author: Teresa Hanley thanley7@gmail.com

Defining interests --- I wonder if there is work or examples on how negotiators approach the subject of "interest" . In some international relations theory eg realist theory interest is often seen as being about power or economic interest- likewise political economy approaches. I'd be interested if there is work looking at how we can build shared understandings of "interest" which I think can be very culturally /context or even person-specific.

Source author: Teresa Hanley thanley7@gmail.com

Working Groups --- I agree Sally, working groups can be extremely useful in preparing such grand programs, agreements, and so on. I think it is very important that all parties are engaged and remain motivated throughout the discussions. This way, knowledge and progress is not lost on a high turnover of individuals - which may be disruptive as you then need to rebuild trust and explain everything again.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Working with other Humanitarian Actors --- I am curious Mohamed if your organization has worked with other humanitarian organizations? Even so, in what ways do you see that other NGOs do not adhere to the same principles? Generally, I like to think we have more strength when working together, especially in such a difficult context, but of course this is not always possible.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Misinformation --- My first thought that it would be Russia targeting the ICRC in Ukraine. If they enrage Ukrainians to kick out the ICRC from the country, it would mean less aid for Ukrainian citizens, which would further weaken the Ukrainian government's position and thereby aid in Russia's invasion. There would also be less eyes on the ground to witness what is happening.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Gender and Age --- Another important aspect is gender. Perhaps the gender of the person negotiating may not be acceptable to the other party and also age may play a role in the respect you are given.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Venue and Equipment --- For mediation, there are different approaches to the kind of table choice made (or not to use one), is this similar in humanitarian negotiations? For example using a round table instead of a rectangular one.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

Building prisons --- Of course Etienne, but here again there is room for negotiation. In 2011 in Tunisia during the so called Jasmin Revolution, detainees set fire to their places of detention (and many died as a result). ICRC offered to rebuild kitchens, infirmaries, sport facilities, but not cells or interrogation rooms!! And it worked just fine.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Weapons Conventions --- I think it is quite simple Etienne: on the one hand, ICRC is the gardian of International Humanitarian Law, on the other, as these weapons (mines, cluster munitions, potentially laser weapons) are killing people in numerous regions of the world, the RCRCM offers an opportunity for a global Humanitarian Diplomacy effort.

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

Silence and empathy --- Indeed Sally, active listening, empathy and using silence when appropriate, which can convey so many (positive) things!

Source author: Jean-Michel Monod jmmonod@yahoo.com

All auxiliaries? --- The Palau example below is especially interesting -I understand that there are several NS that are in this negotiation process, including the Russian RC, with a bill on its auxiliary position set to go to parliament next year. In that case, do we think that the current crisis will facilitate or hinder that bill?

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

More impartial access negotiations in Myanmar --- A relatively successful example has been in Rakhine, Myanmar; where several agencies where able to access majority Muslim camps and villages in the centre and the north of the state; as a result of the spread a more 'generalised' conflict between the Arakan Army and the Tatmadaw which meant nearby Buddhist majority villages were also affected.

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

Succesful RCRC HD always = weapons? --- Negotiations on bans of certain types of weapons are often cited as best practices of HD, especially as led by the RCRCM. Why is this? Does it have to do with the ICRC's specific mandate, or is there something else to it?

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

Most felt in multilat negotiations --- This 'starting before it begins' (and its FOMO corollary i.e. 'fear of missing out' ) is especially felt in large multilateral negotiations where states seem to have the most power. For example during the COP26, the RCRCM was extremely well represented and the RC Climate Centre did a stellar job; however there was still a feeling that we did not do enough upstream negotiation and agenda setting

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

Principles v. pragmatism --- An interesting example where the 'principled based negotiation takes on a different meaning - it's not necessarily the neutrality principle that matters here, but the much more pragmatic one of getting access. However in negotiating access to prisons we also shouldn't be naive -the relevant authority may then ask for support that the ICRC can't provide, for e.g. infrastructure with military use (renovating a particular road etc.)

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

options are diverse --- utilising the abilities of group/ partners to explore options broadly - appears to assist in exploring thinking , build generosity of contributions, and gain trust that we are open to exploring all possible solutions together

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

play the ball - not the person --- It really seems to help - to divide it in your mind. It is the issue - interests - possible positive outcomes to focus upon. Not the person. This may also prevent unintended tiny negative reactions to people - which may be hard to disguise - and affect how you see people and how they see you .

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

active, reflective and respectful listening --- This has to be one of the most highly beneficial skills - to really hear what people are saying - what they are verbally and physically telling you - to gain an in-depth understanding. To reflect back what is said - in a meaningful manner. To also not be fearful of silences. To hold a silent space - not feel a need to bounce in and respond - or add other info. .

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

words are very powerful --- totally agree - words are very powerful - the term compromise - has connotations of giving and taking . Reciprocity- is such a generous word - it connects us as humans - and we both give and receive

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

2D or 3D --- I enjoyed that metaphor of the cake. Thank you It is often how we look at an issue- if we see a limited amount of solutions - and that a win for one - may be viewed as loss - lack of options - for another . It is really is a deficit model. If we have the mindset - that there are positive outcomes for all - may change how we approach a negotiation? Humans tend to be territorial beings - and perhaps understanding that basic driver - may help us as negotiators

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

working together --- working groups - can be really valuable - in taking the time - to repeatedly sit around a table - listen to each other - share their accounts/ needs - and work towards common goals

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

progressing the awareness of gender violence, and discrimination during disasters --- During Cyclone Pam - Vanuatu - gender violence was known to be high within communities, participation of women in relief / recovery decision making low , and there was no history of collecting or analyzing disaggregated data . Raising the awareness of Govt and local partners, about these issues, opportunities to achieve outcomes for women in recovery -and how collecting disaggregated data could benefit all recovery partners. Training then provided to NS , and all partners, then for monitoring relief and recovery assessment - disaggregated data achieved, resulting in specific locally led livelihoods recovery projects for women.

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

Marshall Islands RC - development during drought --- There had been a handful of locals working with Govt - and advocating for the development of a NS. There were many concerns and barriers this group faced from Govt members . During an extreme drought - this group persuaded Govt to invite IFRC to assist in drought relief . I was appointed as Ops Manager- a team bought in for WASH , desalination plants installed , locals trained . During this period- regular meetings with govt - re reporting on actions and advocating for the role of a NS - and the support available from IFRC . This drought provided the impetus for these issues to be discussed, negotiations to be explored, outcomes of support proved the value of NS role to isolated communities and Govt . NS formed soon after and grew from this beginning

Source author: Sally Mckay sallyjmckay@gmail.com

Language barriers --- Interesting, Phoebe. I've been in situations where the parties with which I was working said they would rather work in English than in a language which was the first language of one of them. Equality of disadvantage, one of them said.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Virtual negotiations venue --- Funny question Chloe. Not. I'm engaged in a silly correspondence with an academic in a European country who is trying to say that a webinar in which I'm involved is located in Melbourne despite the fact that the participants are from Myanmar and many other countries, including his. I don't yet know what he thinks he will gain from asserting that Melbourne is the venue.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Mediator --- Thanks Chloe. Sometimes there is resort to a mediator for the whole issue on the table, sometimes the resort is to an expert on a technical issue. Sometimes it is to a group - I gave an example in response to a point about negotiating texts earlier in this module text of a very small group tasked with the production of a single negotiating text for the drafting of what is now the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Mediators can take many forms and if they're unsuccessful they can be replaced.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Negotiating with terrorist groups --- Thanks Chloe. Without going into the merits of the Mali case, my worry - increasing every day - is that governments the world over label almost any form of activist opposition as terrorists. How should we define terrorists in future? The reality probably lies in your last sentence.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

The Zelenskyy factor --- Eefjie, I very much agree with JM and would say (after watching his address to the Australian Parliament) that his applauding parliament audience was a bit like a prop supporting his request for war materials from the Australian Government. It succeeded very well.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Respect for International Law --- Isn't it always relevant and important to promote respect for international law as this then can foster a culture of understanding and respect for it? I mean, if people live it and embody it, it would be more difficult to breach.

Source author: Kylea Shropshire kylea.shropshire@gmail.com

All interests included? --- Thanks Eefjie, Emmanuel and Jaime. As Jaime says, a good stakeholder analysis will reveal who should/must take part. A task for the HDiplomat is to watch carefully and ensure that all those who should take part are invited to do so and given a role of some sort. That role doesn't have to be on the negotiating floor, but will depend on the format of the negotiation.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Complicating the example --- Although I agree with your point, Fritz, the trouble with your sentences is that you introduced the complication by varying the scenario. I hope you aren't doing this in Assignment 6-7!

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

First impressions --- Thanks for opening this Mohamed. I agree with Emmanuel too, especially as good stakeholder mapping will help you avoid rash first impressions.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Single texts or separate drafts --- Thanks Kabir. Sometimes the issue surrounds a document so long and complex that competing texts on various subjects creates a monster which can't be discussed sensibly. I saw an example of this when I was in the Australian Mission to the UN in New York in the 1970s. The treaty in question was the draft UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, a document well over 100 pages long. A small group, which included Australia, produced the Single Negotiating Text from all the proposals on the table and it was from this document that the eventual Convention emerged.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

The components of compromise --- Thanks Sepideh and Fritz This underlines well another point - there needs to be good buy-in in your organisation so that there is sufficient discipline to hold your own positions together through the processes of negotiation and possible compromise.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Contract crises --- Thanks for this interesting contribution Lessur, Sepideh and Mohamed. Any contributions from others on this will be most welcome.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Written document of oral agreement --- Thanks Kabir. What you say might be ideal but it will be more common these days for the "written document" to be not much more than a thank you letter, and sometimes done as an e-mail. I know this might raise veracity issues in the future, but the cases of which I know haven't reached that level of disputation. The letter should, of course, be written very carefully.

Source author: Christopher Lamb christopher.lamb17@gmail.com

Team Vs Individual --- There are times where joining the negotiating table as an individual works i.e. might take a short time, less influence from different parties which might complicate the efforts etc.

Negotiating as a team brings with it power to the table, as people are able to bring in different perspectives which at the end of the day will enrich the discussion. Downside it tends to take longer. A good team will ensure both teams win at the end of the negotiation.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Knowing the Other Party --- In addition, knowing the other party ensures that your credibility as an organization is not compromised in any way.

It might be easy to lose credibility with the respective government for example when seen negotiating with an armed groups that the governent is against.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Patience as a Virtue --- This is very important for HDiplomats especially when you are in a conflict setting with armed groups, the proposal on the table is against the government stand or has not been endorsed by the government or their is mistrust betwen the parties. Should the other parties feel they are being hurreid to get into the negotiation table, the mistrust further builds up.

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Language Barriers --- Language barriers can hinder the understanding of the main objectives of each parties including their interest. It also sometimes causes mistrust especially where the parties involved in negotiation resort to their local langauges to agree on something before reverting to the main group. It is useful to understand which language will be comfortable for the parties coming to negotiation for proper understanding, trust building and peaceful consensus building

Source author: Phoebe Shikuku Pheobeshikuku@gmail.com

Is risk appetite at the senior level? --- I find this statement interesting -from limited experience, risk appetite is usually at the field, and therefore less 'senior' -do we not spend a lot of time trying to convince HQ's to take on more risk appetite, or is that a naive approach?

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk

But why always = same result? --- Is there a risk that the But why approach always yields the same issues, i.e. that of course we are looking at structural underliers such as the regional or the national gov? Can this not then cause frustration with local communities, when more immediate solutions may also be needed?

Source author: Etienne Berges etienneberges@redcross.org.uk